1999-2010

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Innes-influenced indie artists from Russia & Japan get worldwide exposure in The Seventh Python



Roman Shebalin. The Mountbattens.

A musician from Moscow. A band from Tokyo. Both are getting international exposure through their surprise inclusion in The Seventh Python, the acclaimed (“Charming & illuminating!”— The Los Angeles Times) musical biopic of genius rock satirist Neil Innes from our pals at Frozen Pictures.

As Python heads from its smash world premiere at The Mods & Rockers Film Festival in Hollywood to its Midwest American debut at the Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans on August 9th, many are talking about the two acts who manage to hold their own amid the brilliant starpower of John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and, in his introduction to the US and world stage, the hilarious comic and Innes compadre Phill Jupitus.

Roman Shebalin is featured singing his YouTube hit version of Neil’s signature song, How Sweet To Be An Idiot— in Russian.

From the rock ‘n’roll nightclubs of Tokyo come The Mountbattens, Japan’s only, as far as we we know, Rutles tribute group, and perhaps the only dedicated Rutles impersonators from the Far East. The Mountbattens-- named for Leggy Mountbatten, the Rutles manager until his tragic acceptance of a teaching post in Australia-- are featured performing I Must Be In Love.

Their official bios follow:

Roman Shebalin


Roman Shebalin (born on 25th of October, 1970 in Moscow, USSR) – Russian musician, writer, artist and registrar.

From 1994 to 1999 studied at the College of Literature. Works as a registrar since he has finished College, specializing at documentaries.

During 2003-2005 founded first Russian sites and fan-clubs of Fabrizio de Andre, “Teenage Opera” project, Bee Gees and Russian bands “Tambourine” and “Dialog”. Also he is one of the organizers and an active member of British rock lovers club and the creator and maintainer of Greyclan Studios.

Since childhood he writes poems; later he published his novels in magazines and also wrote a book called “Haunted City”.

Roman is the creator of the band named “Nav’” (1995) which plays art’n’folk, post-punk, minimalism and avant-guard. Main instruments are acoustic guitar, synthesizer and bagpipe. Also plays solo as a bard.


He is an artist, a designer and a participant of “Love Street” exhibitions (1989-1997). His favorite styles are abstractionism and surrealism, favorite techniques – watercolor, oil, collage.


The Mountbattens


This is our bio.

The Mountbattens are
Yuji Furuhata : Vo, G
Hitoshi Takahashi : G, Vo
Tatsuto Yasaka : B, Vo
Yasushi Suzuki : D

BBC(B) "Tell me about THE MOUNTBATTENS."

MOUNTBATTENS(M) "We love THE BEATLES."

B "Oh! I love them too. Do you cover their songs?"

M "Ahhh.......No."

B "You play just like THE BEATLES, don't you?"

M "You're not far off."

B "Oh I see! You're closely related to Mersey beat, I guess."

M "Absolutely not."

B "Then what kind of music you play?"

M "We dig THE RUTLES."

B "Rat? What?"

M "We play a lot of songs of THE RUTLES. We love them than THE BEATLES."

B "THE BEATLES are the best, you know."

M "Yes, we know. But we love THE RUTLES for ever and ever."

B "No way. You villain!"

M "Yes, we know too."

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